We'll be happy
by ToxThexMoonxAndxBack
Summary: Sequel to Sometimes It Hurts. Kate and Jake are happy together, coping with whatever life throws at them. Whether that be Kate's parents or work. Will they get the happy ending they deserve after everything they've gone through together or will things be too much to cope with.Kate/Jake.
1. Take care of my daughter

**AN; A sequel to sometimes it hurts. I've put off doing this off ages but a guest reviewer wanted more after the final chapter so I did some thinking and came up with this. I don't know how long it's going to be or where it's going. I am still writing 'We're only human' this is kind of a side project. Appologies for the bad title. I couldn't think of anything. If any of you can please tell me. Please enjoy, thanks for reading and for your support. xx**

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Kate sat opposite her father; he was in prison for assault. What did she expect? She wasn't surprised. All those years of throwing his weight around and shouting at the world, where else was he going to end up? Her mum had filed for a divorce. For so long she'd been saying that she wouldn't leave him because she loved him. In the end Kate believed she was scared more than anything.

When her mum had got in contact and explained the situation she'd said she wanted to be in her daughter's life. Kate hadn't been sure at first. She had tried with her parents but a lot of the time it had been impossible because of her father. He always judged her over what happened with Beth; her older sister who had been six feet under for nearly a year.

"What you doin' here?" He asked looking Kate up and down. It was certain the woman in front of him wasn't his little girl anymore – she hadn't been that for a long time. She was all grown up now; a mind of her own. Why would she come and see him after everything he did?

"I can leave you know." She said simply tapping her nails on the table not wanting to keep eye contact with him for very long. "but I thought I'd act the part of the daughter and visit you, ungrateful old git."

He scoffed slightly. "Sharp tongue on you there, you're a Barker alright."

Kate rolled her eyes. "What did you do?"

"You know what I did."

"Yeah yeah, fight in a pub. How'd you end up in here if that's all you did?"

"Cos the prat pressed charges didn' he. Switched it, said I started on him, his mates backed him up. Said he only acted in self-defence. Load of rubbish…"

She shook her head. "And you couldn't have just walked away? When he started on you in the pub, you couldn't have just ignored him? You're not exactly a young man anymore; you can't fight like you did twenty years ago."

"I know I know." He nodded. "I wish I had done. I take it, it was your mum that told you I was here?"

"Nanna. Mum didn't want me to come."

"She still going through with this divorce lark?"

"Can you blame her?" Kate raised her voice slightly before getting a stern look from one of the security officers so toned it down. "Dad, for as long as I can remember you had control over us, over all of us. Beth rebelled you kicked her out; I went to live with Nanna but mum? No, Mum had nowhere to go. So she stayed, because she believed you loved her."

"I do. I loved all of you."

"You had a funny way of showing it." She laughed slightly.

"I never hurt you, Katie." He looked down then back at her. "I know I hurt your mam and Beth but I never hurt you, my little princess."

"Don't. Don't even go there. You never hurt me physically but do you think it has been easy growing up and putting all of that stuff behind me?" She paused. "You know what hurts the most; there was a time when I loved you, when you really were my dad. A time when I could go to you about anything…but you destroyed all of that."

"I'm sorry…"

"The worst of it is I can't hate you…" A lump formed in her throat. "I wanted to but I just can't because for some reason I want to believe you can change. But here we are the place where I knew you'd always end up…"

"I don't know what to say, Katie. You've grown up so much since the last time we spoke."

"I was eighteen…"

"My mum did a good job looking after ya."

"Yes she did. I don't get it if you really gave a damn about me why didn't you try and get in touch? Why didn't you try and make it work back then?"

"I doubted you'd want to speak to me. You had a new start with your Nanna I didn't want to ruin your life any more than I had done already. I even thought Beth would have moved on…got help."

"I tried to help her but she didn't want it."

"You're a lawyer now?"

"I work for the crown prosecution service." She nodded.

"You have moved on with your life."

"It's not been easy. I could barely get into law school with a background education from a state school especially one like what we went to. My tutor pretty much told me I had no hope at being a prosecutor so I had to do defense. I didn't want to, but I had no choice. Then I was nearly killed by a client who didn't like a result we go. On top of all this I'm helping take care of Ashleigh as her parents are dead."

He sighed. "I'm sorry…"

"So am I…" She got to her feet. "I shouldn't have come."

"Who's the guy?" He asked making her eyes snap up to meet his.

"What guy?"

"You're engaged."

She looked down at the ring finger on her left hand before back at him. "What's it to you, anyway?"

"You're still my daughter and I love you, I just want to know you're gonna be happy." He stood waiting for the officer to take him away. "Tell him if don't take good care of my daughter, he'll have me to answer to."

He was then taken back to his cell and Kate was escorted out of the visiting room. She played with the ring on her finger as she walked out of the prison to the car park where Jake was waiting for her.

"You ok?" He asked seeing her walk towards him.

"Yeah." She nodded tucking her hair behind her ear.

"What's he had to say for himself?"

She smiled slightly. "He did some apologizing, which was unexpected."

"Anything else?"

"He told me he loved me."

"And you believe him?" He knew it had been a difficult decision to see her Dad again.

"I think I do, yeah." She took his hand. "Come on, let's go home."


	2. All I have to show

An: So sorry if you read this and there was like numbers and stuff everywhere. I realise now if i post something using school wifi it gets messed up. Ugh. Any way hope you're enjoying this so far, if you have any ideas what you would like to see happen next please tell me. Please review as always xX

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Kate opened a jewellery box in her Nanna's attic and sat down in a chair that was twice her age; there was a million and one things around her that had been forgotten about in cardboard boxes and chests. Kate remembered being a teenager and going up to her Nan's attic and looking through photo albums, seeing the family members she never knew grow up in front of her.

She looked at the lid of the Jewellery box, 'Property of Lois Anne Barker'. She always laughed when she saw the older woman's name, not because it was funny but because she still called her Nanna.

The ballet dancer in the box turned as the soft music played.

"What you found?"

She shut the lid startled putting the box down turning to see Jake. "Christ."

"Nope just me." He smirked. "I thought you said you'd be a few minutes up here."

"How long have I been?"

"Twenty or so. Your Nan said you liked to get lost up here." He looked around the dimly lit room. The only light coming from a dying bulb and a skylight. The bulb flickered.

"We've been meaning to change that bulb for five years..." She laughed slightly. "But as long as it clings on for life we put it off another day..."

He smiled. "That I can believe." He moved away from the staircase that lead up to the attic and further into the room. He touched a hanging decoration with his finger that made a noise as the shaped mental pieces clinked together. "What is all this stuff any way?"

"The story of her life mostly. People's stuff. My grandad's stuff, my uncle's medals, Ashleigh's kids stuff."

"What about you? Anything of yours up here?"

Kate nodded getting up putting the jewellery box back on the self and leading him to the other side of the room.

"Pre living with Nan..." She said before showing two photographs, a rag doll and an old tattered leather bound book. "Not much to show for the first fourteen years of my life is it?"

"Why only these things?"

She gave a small smile. "When I was fourteen my Nanna came to our house in Manchester. Beth's baby had just been taken away and she was sick of my Dad ignoring her. She decided it was time to do something, she knew I wasn't happy there."

"And your Dad let her just take you?"

"The only person he's ever been scared of is his mam. She came in and said I was going to live with her. One look from her and Dad agreed. She told me to just go and get anything of sentimental value."

Jake looked at the four things she'd taken. Two pictures of her and her sister, a doll that had seen better days and a book.

Kate could see she'd need to explain further. "The pictures are obvious. The doll and book? Take a bit more. You see, Dad wasn't big on Christmas and birthdays so I never really got anything. I got the doll when I was a few days old. The book when I was eleven. The only book they ever gave me and it wasn't new then." She laughed slightly. "I've read it a million and one times and I could recite it from memory...mainly because I'm scared if I touch that copy of it the pages will come away in my hand, yes it's that old..."

He laughed. "Can't you get another copy?"

"Tried, its like the rarest book ever. It's like no one has ever heard of The Patchwork Girl before..."

"I haven't..."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh god..."

"Good book is it?"

"Yep."

"What's it about?"

"A girl who's father is a bully and her mother is a coward. She lives in fear of the war in her own four walls and then one day her Dad argues with her and she runaway. And that's the best thing that could happen to her. She starts a new life for herself, patches herself up. She becomes strong, independent..."

He smiled. "Familiar?"

"A little I suppose."

"Does she have a happy ending?"

"If you ever get to read the book you'll find out." She smirked. "Come on, I can smell coffee."

He laughed putting his arm around her and they went downstairs.


	3. It's our job

"If you didn't see her that night, how can you explain your DNA under her fingernails? Your blood under them from where she scratched you?" Kate asked the suspect as they stood in court.

"I..."

"How can you explain the fact you were seen on CCTV walking with the victim ten minutes before she was killed?"

"I erm..."

"The truth is Mr Lux you decided you were sick of her not listening to you. You were sick of your girlfriend, the woman you said you loved, having a life of her own. So what pushed you over the edge? Did she tell you to go? Tell you it was over? That she couldn't cope?" She had a lot of anger in her voice, the jury on her side. "We know from her family that she had had it with you. She told them you were being controlling."

"I just..."

"Where's the question my lord?" The defence jumped up but Kate simply talked over them.

"When you realised she was brave enough to leave you, you killed her. Even then she fought. A young girl fighting for her life because she had so much to live for and you took that away."

"No."

"Did you kill her?" She raised her voice.

"Yes." He admitted, fury and defeat in his eyes. "I killed her..."

Kate looked from Lux to the Judge. "No more questions."

"Just as well I think." The judge nodded. "We shall adjourn for lunch."

The jury were lead out by the usher and Kate and Jake walked back to the dressing room of The Old Bailey.

"Miss Barker." Lux's defence appeared stoping the two in their tracks. "What the bloody hell were you playing at in there?"

She exchanged glances with Jake for a moment. "I wasn't playing at anything. I was doing my job. And we were right. Lux is guilty."

"No he isn't."

"It's over Thomas. Lux confessed to killed Adiola." Jake put in.

"It's not over until the Jury give us their verdict."

Kate sighed before looking at her phone as it bleeped. "You might want to talk to your client." She smirked showing Jake the message. "He's just changed his plea to Guilty."

Thomas' eyes widened before he turned and walked away from them. The two looked at each other, laughing slightly the moment they made eye contact. "Did he ever go to law school?" Kate asked as they decided to go for coffee.

"I think so. You never know though, there's strange people about."

"Takes one to know one."

"Oi." He nudged her as he paid for their coffee.

"You kinda walked into that one Jakey."

"Taking that away from you if you're just going to be horrible." He pointed at her cup and she quickly moved it out of his reach.

"Then you'd have to put up with me with caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Do you really want to go through that again?"

He thought a moment about the last time Kate went a day without caffeine and fake shuddered. "No I really don't."

Kate sipped her drink as they walked along the street together. Jake saying she did well in court to get Lux to crack. It had been a hard case even with all the evidence they had. Lux had pleaded not guilty. Now he'd changed his mind. After many, many questions from Kate and Jake he'd finally given in.

They say beside each other on a bench.

"At least Adiola's family have justice now..." Kate thought out loud breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Yes. The trial tore them apart..."

"They'll be ok." She took a deep breath. "It won't be easy though."

"Nothing ever is..."

"That's why we do our job isn't? To help people..."

"Yeah. Well you do more than you probably should do..." He noted and she gave a small smile.

"Can't help it. I don't want people who can be helped to be ignored like I was."

He took her hand. "You really care about them all don't you?"

"Of cause. Don't you?"

"Yes. But I have risked my job as many times as you..."

"We should go and speak to Henry."

He sighed, she was right. "Fine."

He kept hold of her hand as they walked back to the office, ready for whatever rant Henry was going to say.

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AN: Please review xx


	4. Family and Fears

An: eek, sorry for not updating for a while but I was busy with school, I went to Barcelona and then I kind of broke my laptop...I now have my new laptop and I just want to say a big thank you to the guest reviewers for their comments, please keep reviewing if you want me to continue. also if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see happy between Kate and Jake feel free to tell me and I might add it to the fic at some point. :) Thank you and enjoy. xxxx

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"No, I'm telling you, he was that far from my face..." Ashleigh laughed whilst trying to tell Jake of her and Kate's experience in America.

Jake looked at Kate for confirmation and she nodded. "She's telling the truth, the light's went off in the building we were in, they came back on and this guy was an inch from her face. Of cause Ashleigh remained calm and screamed in his face..."

The brunette giggled slightly. "Well you just stood there laughing at me, I was terrified, I was like way too close to a stranger's teeth..."

"What?" Jake raised his eyebrows, looking once again at Kate for an explanation.

"She's scared of other people's teeth..." Kate smiled. "She's a Barker, we are strange..."

"Like Kathy is scared of the dark..." Ashleigh was shut up at this point as a sofa cushion hit her straight in the face almost knocking her off arm of the chair she was sitting on.

"Thank you, Ashleigh Anne Barker for that insight, you will find the duck tape in the kitchen..."

"I'm going..." Ashleigh got up knowing if Kate had used her full name she was annoyed so she made the smart decision of going to pick what song she was going to sing at the couple's wedding as she had no idea what to sing so far and she'd been through over 1000 songs.

"You're scared of the dark?" Jake questioned.

"No I'm not..." She dismissed it.

"Ash just said..."

"You believe my cousin?"

"The kid can't lie..."

Kate knew he had her there, Ashleigh couldn't lie without laughing, not even about something like her age.

"Ok, yes fine, I may used to have had an irrational fear of the dark at some point..."

"Why?"

Kate felt so stupid. She wanted the ground to swallow her up. "It's a long story..."

"Everything is..."

She took a deep breath. "When I was five, me and Beth were left alone in the house, she was about ten I think. Mum and Dad went to the pub. Everything was fine but it got really late and there was a thunder storm outside and because Dad never paid any bills there was no lights. There was a gang of drunks outside our house on the estate, they thought no one was in so they put a brick through the window...we were terrified. Mum and Dad didn't come back till nearly five o'clock in the morning...when I think about it all I really remember is it being dark and I was scared. It's stupid really..."

"They left a five and ten year old alone...?" He sometimes couldn't believe the things her parents did. Why would they do that? Sometimes he wondered why they ever bothered having kids at all when all they did was neglect them.

"It only happened once, and they told Beth they were sorry for leaving her all that time when they came back..."

"Didn't make it right though..."

She nodded. "I know...but I guess it was just one of those things, one of those that make or break us..."

"You still scared of the dark?"

"How did we get onto this topic again..."

"Don't change the subject, Kate." He laughed taking her hand.

She shook her head. "Not really, not anymore. A lots happened these past few years, a lot of things scare me but...the dark not so much anymore. There was a time, when I would be scared to go to bed a night...that went on for years and I know how much of a child I must sound but I couldn't get that memory out of my head, of always associating the dark with fear and feeling alone. But now I'm not alone and I don't find it so scary anymore..."

He smiled. "Good."

"So what are you afraid of?" She asked. "Everyone is afraid of something..."

He thought a moment, what was he afraid of? Then he knew, the one thing he was scared of more than anything else in the world. "Losing you."

"And that's the only thing your afraid of?" She sound slightly confused.

"What else? I've seen you go through so much since Beth died and I thought I'd lost you then, even before we were together. You were my friend and I thought you were falling apart...I didn't lose you, but I never want to feel like I am again."

She moved closer to him on the sofa burying her head in his chest. "You're not going to lose me, Jake. Trust me, you're stuck with me for a long time." He laughed. "Nanna and Ashleigh too I'm afraid."

"I don't mind, you are all my family now..."


	5. Ashleigh

Ronnie was sat at his desk. Joe was ever so casually ignoring the report mountain as it got bigger and bigger whilst Ron slowly made his way through a bag of jelly beans.

"Sergeant Brooks."

The voice of a young trainee made Ronnie spin in his chair.

"Yes my luv'? It's Jodie isn't it?"

Seeing the petite brunette's face he could tell she was about to say something bad.

"There's a Miss Barker in the family room, it's definitely urgent but she says you're the only one she'll talk to."

Joe looked over to him.

"Is she okay?" Ronnie asked concerned for Kate.

"Come and see."

He got up from his chair leaving Joe and following Jodie to the family room. Walking through the door his small hope that everything was alright shattered.

Kate sat holding a blood covered cloth to the side of her face. Her hands covered in scratches.

"Kate? What happened?"

"Someone took Ashleigh." She stuttered before tears formed in her eyes. "I...there was nothing I could do. They took her Ron. I'm like her mum I'm meant to protect her."

Ron took a seat beside her gently putting his arm around her back to comfort her. "Who did this?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I got home, the door was unlocked so I went in. Shouted Ash's name then went into the living room which was when I heard her was shouting and swearing; a man's voice. Someone grabbed me. I couldn't see their face. They hit my head with something, something hard. I saw them go through the door with her as I blanked out." She barely stopped to breathe. "I woke up ten minutes later. Ash was gone and blood was on the wall in the hallway."

"We'll get her back, Kate."

"I promised her Dad I'd look after her no matter what. Even after he was gone."

"This isn't your fault."

She moved the cloth from her face to show the injury she'd abstained. She had a 4 inch gash down from her temple to her cheek.

"We'll get SOCO and forensics to your place, try and work out who was in your home. We'll do a door to door and check CCTV. We need to go to hospital and you checked out. I'll call Jake tell him to meet us there." Ronnie explained as calmly as he could. Kate's teenaged cousin was known and loved by the whole team.

"Ron, what if..."

He quickly cut her off. "Lets not think about that okay sweetheart. Lets focus on finding Ashleigh."

XxX

Jake arrived at the hospital and was taken to the room Kate and Ronnie was in.

"Kate." His mind had been on overdrive. All he'd been told was Kate had been attacked and Ashleigh was missing. The cut on her face had been treated, the skin glued back together rather than being stitched. The doctors had said she had no brain damage but wanted to keep her in. No chance of that happening.

Jake crossed the room to her and put his arms around her and she buried her head in his chest as uncontrollable tears rolled down her cheeks. At some point Ronnie left the room wanting to give them some privacy.

"It's okay." He whispered even though nothing was.

"I want Ashleigh."

"I know I know."

"It's all my fault. I should've... should've fought harder."

"Hey." He moved back slightly tot look at her. "This wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could've done."

"But who would kidnap her? No one. What if this is something to do with me? Someone we've pissed off lately."

"Then we'll find out who and bring Ashleigh home alive I pr..."

She stopped. "Don't make any promises you can't keep...if Ashleigh...if she dies..."

He held her tightly kissing the top of her head. "I know."

An: Thanks for reading - Sorry for the drama xxxx


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